'The timing of the Lions tour is perfect because if we did win the series, it would give the game here a boost,' says the former Wallabies coach Rod Macqueen. Photograph: Nick Wilson/Allsport

When the Lions were last in Australia in 2001, the Wallabies were the World Cup holders with some of their celebrated players, like John Eales, hanging on for a crack at rugby union's most famous touring side.

The Australia coach then, Rod Macqueen, also delayed his retirement to have a tilt at the Lions, masterminding a series victory after defeat in the opening Test in Brisbane. Riding high then, the game here is now in need of heroes.

"Rugby in Australia is going through the doldrums," said Macqueen on Tuesday. "The timing of the Lions tour is perfect because if we did win the series, it would give the game here a boost. We are under no illusions, though, about how hard that is going to be to achieve."

Lions tours to Australia tend to defy convention. In 1989 and 2001, the side that lost the opening Test went on to win the series but Macqueen believes the winner at the Suncorp Stadium will hold a significant advantage: the Lions have played seven Tests in Brisbane and won them all, but the ground has become known as Fortress Suncorp because in 14 Tests there since 2003, the Wallabies have won 12 and the All Blacks are the only opponents to have beaten them at what used to be called Lang Park in that time.

"Saturday is really important and both sides realise that," said Macqueen. "It is hard to compare with 2001 because the circumstances are so different, but what has not changed is the importance of the Lions as a concept, something that is now unique in the game. Rugby Union in Australia is going to have a high profile in the next few weeks.

"I have been very impressed with the Lions and enjoy the style they are playing with. They have some injury issues, which may have an impact in the first Test, but the Wallabies know they face a really big challenge. I remember the buzz that we had in the country in 2001 and the same is happening now."

Australia were surprised in Brisbane 12 years ago, first by the number of Lions' supporters in the Gabba clad in red (anyone here this week who did not buy a Lions jersey is in for a shock as they retail for £80 in the city, a bargain compared to the £108 a Queensland Reds jersey commands) and the pace and skill of the Lions.

"They caught us out in the first Test," said Macqueen. "They started really strongly and they were very well drilled. We could not keep up with them and the Wallabies go into Saturday without having had a warm-up Test while the Lions will have had six matches on tour.

"That said, the Australian players know each other well while the Lions are players from four different countries coming together. That is the beauty of it: you wonder if one side has an advantage, but only the game itself will tell. The Wallabies have a chance, but they are going to have to play."

An undoubted difference with 12 years ago is the Wallabies' coach: Macqueen was feted but Robbie Deans, who is out of contract at the end of the month, is not universally popular, and not just because he is a New Zealander. There are some who feel that Australia's playing style has become prescriptive at the expense of traditional spontaneity and flair.

"There is speculation about Robbie's future, but that is one of the realities of life," said Macqueen. "He will do the best job he can and his concern will be giving the Wallabies the best chance of winning the series, not his own future. A lot has been written about the way Australia have been playing, but the players will know what they have to do."

Would Macqueen like to see Quade Cooper in the Australia squad? The playmaker had a public falling out with Deans last year and has not played for the Wallabies since. The answer is diplomatic.

"There has been a lot of controversy about Quade Cooper's omission, but I think that in the end it comes down to the way Robbie wants to play the game," said Macqueen. "He has chosen players who best fit his gameplan: another coach might have picked Quade. It is horses for courses and I can understand why Robbie would leave certain players out."

It looks as if James O'Connor, a versatile player whose skills look best suited to being wider out, will start at 10 on Saturday. "He is a formidable footballer," said Macqueen. "He can play in several positions and he will not let the Wallabies down. Kurtley Beale is a more natural out-half in that he can put people into space, but he has not had a lot of rugby lately.

"It will be interesting to see the team Robbie picks. He has very talented players to choose from and he needs them because the Lions have been going so well. It is a shame in one sense that the Wallaby players have not featured in the warm-up matches, but I fully understand why they were held back. The pity will be if someone in the squad does not get to play against them because it is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

"The Lions have shown some subtle touches this month and it will be fascinating to see if they maintain their expansive approach in the Test series which will be a huge step up from anything they have encountered so far. I just hope the outcome is not decided by refereeing decisions as is so often the case in Test matches now with interpretations at the scrum and the breakdown so crucial.

"It is an area the authorities need to look at because the outcome of rugby matches should be down to the differences between the two teams, not subjective decisions. For me, it is the biggest disappointment in the game at the moment."